Automatic water heater



Patented Mar. 27, 1928.

i UNITED STATES PATENT yOFFICE. f

HAR-RY iT. LYONS, OF GENEVA, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGNOR T0 GENEVA`HATER COMPANY, OF GENEVA, ILLINOIS, .A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC WATER HEATER.

Application led July 28, 1924. Serial No. 728,529.

The invention hereinafter described pertains to water heaters and has reference more particularly to that type known as automatic heaters. Y c

In water heaters of the above mentioned type, a serious disadvantage has been found. The thermostat is located in the discharge pipe from the heating coils. When the water passing through the thermostat reaches a predetermined temperature, the thermostat operates the gas supply valve or means controlling the gas supply valve t0 reduce the flow of 'gas to the heater or to shut off i the gas entirely.` Ifthe faucet remains open v whilethe gas valve is closedcor nearly closed, the water flowing ythrough the coils will not be heated until the cold water issuingV from the coils actuates the thermostat to turn` on .the gas again;l The resultgis that a quantity of cold water is deliveredfrom the faucet. It is, therefore, ltheprimary object ofmy invention to eliminate the effectsof this lag in heating by so arranging the thermostat and heating coils that water drawn from the hot water faucets will be ata substantially 'uniform temperature at all times, and, regardless of ywhether or not the burners are automatically shut olf.' by the thermostat duringthe period of use of the water heater. Further objects will become apparent from the description and claims and/,from `thedrawing inV which the figure is aneleva- `tion` Vof ,onel form of my invention, parts being broken away to show the interior conw struction of a heater to which it is applied.Vv

VThe heater comprises an outer shell 2 supported upon ar base 4 which is in turn sup* ported upon suitable legs or standardsV 6 and at the top has the usual flue S and'cap' 10 arrangedto form together with the base and shell, an inclosing housing for the heater elements. j Water is admitted to the circulating system-through a cold water inlet 12 in connection with which the thermostatical` indicated at 18 connect-ing'the lower or pri-L maryheating coils 20 in parallel. -fAt the ond manifold 22 receives ythe water discharged therefrom and directs itthrough a downwardly extending pipe 24 into the'hase c of a thermostat pipe V26 connected at .its upper end through a pipe 28 and a second dis.

tributing manifold, generally indicated at 30, to the top or secondary group of heating lower ends through a manifold 34 to the hot water outlet 36. At the base of the thermo stat and at substantially the lowest portion of the heater circulation system I provide a kpetcock or other valve 38 for drainage purshown) may be supplied to .ignite the fuel emanating from the burners 40 as will be understood. The water and gas valves will not be further described 4since their opera- `tion is ful-ly described in the patent to which Tahave referred above.

Thethermostat 26 may be constructedrand arranged to control the by-pass valvey ad jacent the cold water .inlet through the medium of lever 44, yplunger 46 and adjusting screw 448. v

7l-lena heater unequipped with-my invention operates, it sometimes happens that the water temperature becomes high enough to cause the thermostat to operate to completely closethe fuel supply valve so that the Vwater passes through the heating coils without being heated. Since the burner is closed olf, the cold slug of waterpasses through the system and out of the hot water outlet, greatly to thel consternation of the user. lith my invention it will be clearly seen that this objection is obviated, for should the thermostat operate to shut off the gas `during a period at which the hot water faucet is open, the unheated water will pass through the lower or primary group of coils only and thence into thel thermostat pipe,

causingcthe thermostat tol contract and retop of this primary group of coils 20, a sec-y opcn the fuel valve to the burners, by operation of the by pass valve, before the cold water following has passed lthrough the upper or secondary group of coils into thehot coils 32 which 'may be connected at their water outletv In other words, the cold slug of water which has passed through the primary coils will he subjected to heat rising from the burners 40 while it is passing through the secondary coils and before it has had time to pass from the hot water outlet to the faucet.

Various modifications of the invention will be obvious for it will be apl'neciated that the upper and lower groups of coils need not be arranged one above the other, provided they are placed in a heating zone and the thermostat or other control means be placed intermediate the ends of the heater circulating system. It will also be obvious that my invention may be readily applied to other water heaters and fluid apparatus regulated thermostatically or by similar mechanism, whether a by-pass or other control be used or not, and for that reason I desire to be limited only by the spirit of my invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a water heater, primary and 'secondary heating coils, means to effect heat transfer with said co-ils, and means in series with and between the primary and secondary coils and operable by a variation of the temperature of a prin'iarycoil for varying the heating effect of said heat transfer means.

2. In a water heater, primary and secondary water coils arranged in series, means to effect heat transfer with one of said coils, and means in conjunction with and controlled by the temperature of the other of said coils for varying the heat transfer rate.

3. In a water heater, primary and secondary coils, a common source of heat therefor, and means in series between a primary coil and a secondary coil and controlled by the temperature of a primary coil for varying the heating rate from said source.

l. In a water heater, a plurality of heater coils arranged in upper and lower tiers, means constructed and arranged to heat said coils simultaneously, and means connected between said coils responsive to variations in water temperature in said lower coil tier to regulate said heater means.

5. In a water heater, a plurality of heating coils arranged in groups, heating means common to each of said groups, fuel supply means for said heater, and thermal-responsive means connected in series with and between said groups responsive t-o temperature variations to regulate said fuel supply means.

6. In a water heater, a plurality of heating coils arranged in groups, said groups being connected in series and above one another, the coils of each group being connected in parallel, heating means common to all of said lgroups, means for controlling said heating means, and means thermally-responsive to water temperature Variations in a portion nected in series with and between said coils only, and means actuated. by said thermostat for controlling the temperature of the water delivered from said coils.

V8. In a water heater, a plurality of heating` coils connected in series only, means for heating said coils. a thermostat through which water flows from one coil to the other, and fuel supply means controlled by said thermostat.

9. In a water supply system, a one way conduit, means for simultaneously heating spaced portions o f said conduit, and means forming part of said conduit between said spaced portions for controlling said heating means in accordance with variations of the temperature of the water passing therethrough.

10. In a water heater, a fuel burner, a primary water heating coil adjacent said burner and adapted to be primarily heated thereby, a secondary water heating coil in the path of heated gases from said burner and adapted to be secondarily heated thereby, said ,primary` and secondary coils being connected in series whereby water flowing from said primary coil will pass into said secondary coil and thence to an outlet, and means for controlling the heat supplied by said burner inversely as the temperature of the water passing from the primary coil.

11. In a water heater, a` fuel burner, a cold water inlet, a primary water heating coil connected to said inlet adjacent said burner and adapted to be heated by said burner, a secondary water heating coil adapted to be heated by heated 4gases risingl from said burner and past the primary coil, said primary coil being connected in series with the top of the secondary coil only, and a water outlet from the bottom of the vsecondary coil, whereby all water drawn for use will have passedthrough said coils in the order named.

12. In a water heater, a fuel burner, a cold water inlet, a primary water heating coil connect-ed to said inlet and situated adjacent and above said burner to be heated by heated gases rising therefrom, a secondary water heating coil above said primary coil and adapted to be heated by gases passing from said burner past said primary coil, a connection from the top of said primary coil to the top of said secondary coil, an outlet from the bottom of the secondary coil, and means intermediate said coils and operatively connected to one of said coils for automatically regula-ting said burner in accordance with the temperature of the primary coil.

18. In a non-return fluid heating system having an inlet and an outlet, a pair of substantially restricted water passages connected in series with each other and with said inlet and outlet and in fluid tight relation, means for heating said passages by radiation, and means interposed between and in series with said passages for Varying the heat supplied from said heating means.

14. In a Water heater', a source of heat supply, a cold water inlet, a primary Water heating coil connected to said inlet adjacent said Vsource of heat supply and adapted to be heated thereby, al secondary Water heating coil adapted to be heated by gases rising from said source of heat supply past the primary coil, said primary coil being connected in series with the top of the secondary coil only, a water outlet from the bottom of the secondary coil whereby all Water drawn for use will have passed through said coils in the order named, and means thermally responsive to water temperature Variations in one of said coils for regulating the heat supplied by said source.

HARRY J. LYONS. 

